Country Cook News – March 22, 2013

The Easter Bunny asked me to repeat Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake, which I’ll agree, is well worth repeating. This is the perfect, light and refreshing dessert for welcoming warm spring days. This time, however, they’re made individually (as pictured) so everyone can have their own Easter treat to eat after dinner or, if they’ve eaten too much ham, they’re a sweet package for the trip home. Happy Easter!

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BLOG OF THE WEEKWhat can I say except, YUUUUM! A Family Feast is a gorgeous site that makes me, in a word, hungry. The selections from Appetizers to Soups and Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner offer scrumptious dishes that feed the eyes, the body and the soul. Take a look at these voluptuous Lemon Bars, I’ll have to make these soon, or sooner. Thank you, Jack and Martha, for sharing your delicious creations.

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NEWS FLASH
I’ll be teaching PUTTING PEN TO PAPER in April for the Academy for Life Long Learning, which is a division for seniors at Lone Star College. Classes will be every Friday, April 5, 12, 19 and 26; 9 AM to 11 AM at the ECID location. For more detailed information about the Academy for Lifelong Learning or if you’re interested in other classes click here. If you live in my area, I’d love to have you stop by and take the class .

CENTERED EGG YOLKS: To center egg yolks gently twirl the eggs while they’re cooking. This helps avoid “tears” in the white while peeling the egg. The eggs also look prettier if you’re making deviled eggs.

My husband and I did a remodel job on this recipe for Chorizo and Cabbage Soup. It was OK as posted on the website, but we wanted it meatier and with more pizzazz. I added 1 pound bulk Chorizo sausage (browned, crumbled and well drained), 1 can petite tomatoes, 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained) and 1 teaspoon Louisiana Hot Sauce (more was added according to taste at the table).

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WHITE BEAN SALAD UPDATELast Week: From America’s Test Kitchen a White Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Olives I’ll be trying this week. Update: This salad makes a good-size batch and it was really quite good. It’ll be especially nice this summer with burgers and steaks. It’s filling and would make a full, light meal with bits of ham or chicken added.

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ASK CYNTHIA A QUESTION – March 22, 2013
Denise (and many others) asked: “What’s the best way to boil eggs so they will easily peel?”

My answer: I don’t have a magic solution for boiling eggs so they will peel more easily. Here are some tips I’ve used over the years.

1) I purchase my eggs ahead of time so they’ll be in my refrigerator for at least 1 week before they’re boiled. A funny note: When we had our own laying hens, people would often ask me to bring deviled eggs for get-togethers. I guess they thought we had so many eggs that deviled eggs would be the most convenient item for me to bring. Perhaps, too, they thought fresh deviled eggs would be tastier. Keep in mind that fresh eggs are the worst for “letting go of their shell” so (little did everyone know) I always purchased my eggs at the grocery store whenever I made devil eggs.

2) I boil them for exactly 10 minutes for hard cooked. Note: If eggs are overcooked they will be more inclined to stick to their inside shell.